Actuating mechanism



June 12, 1945. BERG 2,377,859

ACTUATING MECHANI SM Filed June 2. 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR Qu/ntifl Bax-g BY C 6' ATTORNEYS June 12, 1945. BERG 2,377,859

ACTUATING MECHANISM Filed June 2, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 2

INVENTOR Quentin Bug BY GiMWrJ/Z'.

ATTORNEYS Patented June 12, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,377,859 a a ACTUATING MECHANISM came. Berg, Detroit, Mich.

Application'June 2, 1943, Serial No. 489,361

2 claims. (CL 74 4sc) f (Granted under the act of March 3 1883, as amended April 30 1928; 370 0. G. 757) The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes, without the payment to me of any royalty thereon. r

The present invention pertains to a novel gun firing mechanism associatcdwith the gun adjusting mechanism.

Ordinarily the gun is adjusted by operation of a manual member such as a crank and the firing is accomplished by pressing a button or the like in close proximity to the handle of the crank. It is often desirable to fire the gun immediately the adjustment has been made, but frequently the operator loses some time in shifting or adapting his hand to push the firing button. The purpose of the present invention is to overcome this objection.

According to the invention, the gun is adapted from a crank or hand wheel having a suitable handle. The firing switch is mounted adjacent to the crank and the movable element thereof is actuated by an actuating member mounted on the crank. This member is pivotally attached to thecrank at a point opposite the'handle, while the handle receives a slidably mounted stem also attached to the actuating member. The latter is formed with a ring coaxial with the crank and permanently veryclose to the movable element of the switch. The operator is able to push the stem with the thumb of the hand by which he holds the crank handle, whereupon the actuating member is' turned on its pivot and the ring caused to actuate the movable element of the switch and close the latter to fire the gun. The displacement of the stem involves no substantial change in the position of the operators hand and hence no loss in time between adjustment and firing.

The invention is fully disclosed by way of example in the following description and in the accompanying drawings in which:-

Figure l is a vertical section, partly in elevation, of the mechanism and,

Figure 2 is a side elevation.

Reference to these views will now be made by use of like characters which are employed to designate corresponding parts throughout.

The gun adjusting mechanism is shown in detail in Figure 1 and, in this case, is an elevating mechanism operating on a threaded shaft I suitably suspended from the turrent of a combat tank. The details and operations of this mechanism are merely incidental to'the firing mechanism constituting the invention and will therefore be described only briefly.

On the shaft I is mounted an elongated nut 2 surrounded by a hub 3. The hub is formed with a pair of oppositely extending, diametrically alined pivot studs 4 through which the vertical movement of the nut Z is transmitted to the gun, as will presently be described. A housing'5 encloses the studs and provides a pair of bearings 6 for them. The housing is attached to the gun cradle in any suitable manner.

Shafts 1 are journaled in the ends of the housing 5 in axial alinement with the studs. On each shaft 1 is mounted a bevel pinion 8 secured by a pin 9 and rotatable on the adjacent stud 4. On the nut. 2 is secured a bevel ring gear I0 meshing with both pinions.

Each shaft carries an operating crank in the form of a hand wheel l2, and adjacent thereto is a firing switch l3 mounted on the housing 5. Since both crank assemblies and switches are alike, it will be necessary to describe only one set.

Each crank 12 has an outwardly extending handle I l on rotation of which the gear I0 is rotated and with it the nut 2. The nut therefore travels lengthwise on the shaft I, carrying with it the housing 5 and parts mounted therein. The housing is suitably joined to the part of the gun to be adjusted.

The switch l3 has a slidable element l5 which, when moved, closes a circuit to the detonator in the gun. This operation in itself is familiar in the art and requires no further description.

The handle M is securedto the member l2 by a tube It threaded into the member at I! and having a flange l8 bearing on a shoulder I9 Within the handle. In the tube I6 is slidably mounted a stem 28 extending beyond the inner side of the hand wheel l2 at 2|. 'To the outer end of the stem is secured a cap 22 containing a coil spring 23 surrounding the stem and normally holding it in the outward position.

A lug 25 projects inwardly from the hand wheel at a point on the side of the shaft 1 opposite the handle or, in other words, so disposed that the lug and the handle lie at opposite sides of the shaft.

To the lug 25 is pivotally attached an actuating member 26 consisting of spokes spaced equally with those of the wheel 12 and including a central ring 2? concentric with the shaft 1 and providing ample clearance for the shaft. The ring rotates closely adjacent to the end of the movable switch element I5, as shown in Figure 1. The stem 2| passes through one of the spokes of the member 26 and is secured thereto by nuts 28. A wire 29 fastened on the Wheel I2 is hooked around the member 26 to limit the movement of the latter away from the hand wheel.

In the operation of the device, rotation of the hand wheel l2 at the handle [4 results in adjustment of the gun as p usly stated- Th position of the element IS on Figure 1 represents the open or non-firing condition of the switch [3. In order to fire the gun, the operator merely pushes on the cap 22 with the thumb of the hand that holds the handle I4. The stem 20 thereupon moves the attached portion of the member 26 away from the hand wheel 12, swinging on the lug 25 as a pivot. The corresponding movement of the ring 21 pushes the element l5 and closes the switch to fire the gun. This operation can be accomplished in any position of the handle 14 in its orbit because of the constant engagement of the ring 21 with the element l5. The time lost in firing, after adjustment of the gun, i reduced to a minimum inasmuch as the operator need not shift his hand in order to depress the tab 22. The gun can be speedily adjusted and fired from either side of the housing 5 due to the provision of appropriate apparatus at each side.

Although a specific embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, it will be understood that various alterations in the details of construction may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as indicated by the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In an Operating mechanism having a journalled shaft and a crank having its midpoint secured thereto, the combination of an actuating member having one end pivotally attached to said crank at one side of said shaft and extending across said shaft to a diametrically opposite point, a ring formed in said member and encircling said shaft, and means on said crank adjacent to the free end of said member for actuating said free end.

2. In an operating mechanism having a Journalled shaft and a crank having its midpoint secured thereto, the combination of an actuating member having one end pivotally attached to said crank at one side of said shaft and extending across said shaft to a diametrically opposite point, a ring formed in said member and encircling said shaft, a handle carried by said crank adjacent to the free end of said member, and a stem slidably mounted in said handle and passing through said crank, said stem being connected to said free end.

QUENTIN BERG. 

